Car-coupling



` (No Model.)

J- A. PAINTER. GAR COUPLING.

No. 453,891, l Patented June 9, 1891.'

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH A. PAINTER, OF ELKTON, VIRGINIA.

CAR-COUPLING'.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 453,891, dated J' une9, 1891.

Serial No. 385,396. (No model.)

.To @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH A. PAINTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Elkton, in the county of Rockingham and State of Virginia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings; and

I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to car-couplers.

The object of the invention is to produce a car-coupler which shall becheap and simple in construction, and whereby the coupling may beaccomplished without endangering the life or limb of the operator.

Furthermore, the object of the invention is to produce a car-coupling ofsuch construction that the coupling may be accomplished automatically1and with certainty.

Vith these objects in view the invention consists in a car-couplingcomprising a drawhead provided with a chamber, a longitudinalindentation or well in the floor of the chamber, a latch approximatelyU-shaped in form pivoted in the indentation or well, a spring-actuatedhead or buffer, against which the coupling-link impinges in the act ofcoupling, the spring-head being provided with a notch, whereby the linkis engaged and retained in a horizontal position, and a gravitypinengaging the U-shaped latch when the latch is in a locked position.

The invention is illustrated in the accom panying drawings, in which#AFigure l is a central vertical section of my improved coupler. Fig. 2 isa longitudinal horizontal section, and Fig. 3 is a perspective viewshowing the spring-head with a portion of the link in its normalposition in connec-v tion with the spring-head.

In the drawings, A A represent two drawheads provided with a chamber a,having a ioor c', in which is a longitudinal indentation a2, extendingfrom the front to within a short distance of the rear of the opening.

Pivoted in the well or indentation is a latch B, held in place by a pinZ1, upon which it rotates. The latch is provided with two arms h2 b3,having theirouter en ds rounded, as shown in Fig. l.

In the rear of the chamber in the drawheads are the heads C, the stems cof which extend rearward into the draw-head and are surrounded by acoil-spring c', whereby the heads are forced outward. The spring-headsare provided with an indentation on their lower faces and are slottedfor the reception of the latch when the latter is in a position to lockthe ordinary coupling-link D, the couplin g-link, when in a lockedposition, resting on the iioor in an opening in the draw-head andengaging the indentation in the spring-head, whereby it is retained inits proper horizontal position.

E represents a gravity-pin, the head e of which is designed to engagethe arm b3 of the latch when' the coupler is in a locked position. Thespindle of the pin extends through the top of the coupling-head, whereit is provided with a handle or loop E', adapting it for grasping, whenit is desired to release th coupling-link.

In the use of the coupler the coupling-latch is in its normal positionapproximately horizontal, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, the arm b2of the latch extending up into the top 0f the coupling-link as it entersthe drawhead. When the link is pushed into the draw-head, it engages thearm h2 of the latch and moves the entire latch upward and rearward, theshort end b3 passing beneath the head of the pin E, and the arm b2 ofthe latch engaging the locking-pin and pushing it upward until this armb3 passes the pin, when the pin falls, thus locking the link, as shownin full lines in Fig. l.

In order to couple automatically, it is only necessaryto lock the linkinto one of the .coupler-heads, when the link will be held in properhorizontal position for introduction into another draw-head.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, isd

Amr-coupling comprisingzidraw-head pro ity-pin engaging the U-shapedlatch, sul)- lo vided with a chamber, a longitudinal well or stantiallyas described.

indentation in the Hoor of the chamber, a U- In testimonywhereof I aiiixmysignntnre in shaped latch pvoted in the well or iudentnpresence of twowitnesses. 5 tion, a spring-actuated head or buffer against; JOSEPH APINTER which the coupling-link :impinges in the act of coupling, thespring-head being provided Witnesses:

with a notch whereby the link is engaged and R. G. DYRENFORTH, retainedin a horizontal position, and n grav- T. B. KEEFER.

